Our Daily Show Interview! Denise Sparks: Sparks Junk Removal & Hauling
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ALTON - Sparks Hauling and Junk Removal is growing, and owner Denise Sparks shared that she is in the process of getting a trash compactor at her building at 2201 East Broadway in Alton.
In a recent interview on “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello, Sparks explained that she wants a trash compactor to cut her costs at the landfill and increase her services. She encouraged anyone who wants to know more about her business or her plans to stop by her building or give her a call, adding that it’s a clean, well-run building.
“You could probably eat off my warehouse floor,” she said. “You can walk by my facility at any time and it’s spotless. You can come inside, look at my warehouse. It’s spotless. I run a tight ship. You can look inside my fence and it’s spotless. My dumpsters, everything. I have nothing to hide. I’m about as transparent as anybody is going to get.”
Sparks said there has been some confusion about her plans. She emphasized that she does “not wish to be a trash dump.”
She has applied for a special use permit through the City of Alton so she can get a compactor in her building. She explained that a compactor would go a long way toward cutting costs and helping the business.
“Having a trash compactor means I could put a 34-yard compactor at my facility and compact up to three times, meaning, I could put 100 yards of debris in there. We want less wear and tear on our trucks and the landfill,” she explained. “All I want to do is be able to cut my costs at the corporate-owned landfill, who, I’m going to let everybody know, raised my contract rates, not everybody’s. They raised my contract rates 49%.”
As municipalities look into their trash contracts, Sparks encourages people to speak up against contracts they don’t agree with. She attends every Alton City Council meeting and urges others to participate in local government.
“We do not make you sign a contract. Sparks Junk Removal and Hauling believes in the freedom of choice,” she said. “If you want to not be locked into a contract, all of you need to call your city hall. Start a petition. Go to the city councils.”
Sparks added that the business is growing, with plans to purchase another trash truck soon. The company is doing more kitchen and bathroom demolitions than ever before, and they offer full-service cleanouts in addition to their trash pickup and hauling services.
For more information about Sparks Junk Removal and Hauling, you can visit their official website at SparksJunkRemoval.net. Sparks added that she is only looking to improve her business and community.
“I’m a nice person,” she said. “That’s all I want, to be more sustainable, to make a living for myself and my family, and to be able to provide good living with my employees. I’ve got great people.”
